Who Robbed Jimi's Apartment After He Died?

[RobbieRadio]

Immediately after Jimi's death hit the news in the USA his apartment in New York City was broken in to and robbed of it's contents. All of Jimi's guitars, tapes, drawings, lyrics, clothing and personal effects were taken without any evidence being left behind. Nobody has ever been fingered in this.

It was so professionally done, I suspect it was probably people connected to the Mafia. As soon as Jimi died, the mobsters realized Mike Jeffrey wouldn't be having large amounts of money coming in anymore to pay them back the money he owed them and so they stole Jimi's stuff as collateral or for ransom. I mean who else would be evil enough to immediately think of how they could exploit someone's death.

Somebody must have seen something or knows something about it, but there's only one thing I can think of that can make people keep their mouth shut for 40 years. The Mob!

If it was local street punks I'm sure they would have just taken the most obvious things and left stuff behind, but for the the place to picked clean of everything of possible collector value points to a more professional job.

Think of all the other celebrities who have died over the years, yet a surgical strike like this immediately upon their death has never happens before or siince in New York City or else where.

Alan Douglas said he received a phone call in the mid 70's from a guy asking if he would be interested in some Hendrix personal items. Douglas asked the guy if it was any of the stuff stolen from Jimi's apartment, and the guy panicked and hung up. He admitted that was a dumb thing to say and should have led the guy on to see what stuff he really had.

I never heard of anybody claiming any of the stuff that has come up for auction as being an item stolen from the apartment either.

So Whodunnit?

[Fenders Fingers]

Immediately after Jimi's death hit the news in the USA his apartment in New York City was broken in to and robbed of it's contents. All of Jimi's guitars, tapes, drawings, lyrics, clothing and personal effects were taken without any evidence being left behind. Nobody has ever been fingered in this.

It was so professionally done, I suspect it was probably people connected to the Mafia. As soon as Jimi died, the mobsters realized Mike Jeffrey wouldn't be having large amounts of money coming in anymore to pay them back the money he owed them and so they stole Jimi's stuff as collateral or for ransom. I mean who else would be evil enough to immediately think of how they could exploit someone's death.

Somebody must have seen something or knows something about it, but there's only one thing I can think of that can make people keep their mouth shut for 40 years. The Mob!

Alan Douglas said he received a phone call in the mid 70's from a guy asking if he would be interested in some Hendrix personal items. Douglas asked the guy if it was any of the stuff stolen from Jimi's apartment, and the guy panicked and hung up. He admitted that was a dumb thing to say and should have led the guy on to see what stuff he really had.

I never heard of anybody claiming any of the stuff that has come up for auction as being an item stolen from the apartment either.

So Whodunnit?

If we had an inventory of the items which Jimi left in his apartment we would be aware of what had and what had not been stolen and what had appeared over the years for sale. I can think of a couple of reels that have appeared on E bay over the last few years which had me thinking.
To conclude the mob? Well could be but to be honest a few names could be thrown in here …………………………….. but not by me. Jimi sadly associated with some low life in his time in NYC.
Great question and I look forward to some replies on this RR.

[dino77]

Probably a lot of tapes and other artifacts which have surfaced over the years originate from this theft, though they may have changed hands a number of times, or some bullshit story is concocted to hide the real origin of the item. Mob, leeches, ex-girlfriends, who knows...

[karsten]

I remember reading about Alan Douglas giving the same story about the Black Gold tapes, which we know now, were in the possession of Mitch, so I don't how much credibility can be given to AD.

[josephboggs]

I remember reading about Alan Douglas giving the same story about the Black Gold tapes, which we know now, were in the possession of Mitch, so I don't how much credibility can be given to AD.

Well I always kinda assumed there were a few copies of Black Gold. Jimi probably kept one copy or possibly early versions of it, then gave another copy to Mitch at the IOW. But who knows?

[Ezy Rider]

about how many tapes, in hours, are we talking about here? How much of that would have already surfaced? Would these tape pertain to anything else other than rehearsal and memory-aid tapes (i.e. no concert tapes)?

Besides tapes, the only fishy thing I can think of is the notebook with song texts. I don't think he would have forgotten that at a hotel on the road somewhere.

[trampledunderfoot]

Immediately after Jimi's death hit the news in the USA his apartment in New York City was broken in to and robbed of it's contents. All of Jimi's guitars, tapes, drawings, lyrics, clothing and personal effects were taken without any evidence being left behind. Nobody has ever been fingered in this.

It was so professionally done, I suspect it was probably people connected to the Mafia. As soon as Jimi died, the mobsters realized Mike Jeffrey wouldn't be having large amounts of money coming in anymore to pay them back the money he owed them and so they stole Jimi's stuff as collateral or for ransom. I mean who else would be evil enough to immediately think of how they could exploit someone's death.

Somebody must have seen something or knows something about it, but there's only one thing I can think of that can make people keep their mouth shut for 40 years. The Mob!

If it was local street punks I'm sure they would have just taken the most obvious things and left stuff behind, but for the the place to picked clean of everything of possible collector value points to a more professional job.

Think of all the other celebrities who have died over the years, yet a surgical strike like this immediately upon their death has never happens before or siince in New York City or else where.

Alan Douglas said he received a phone call in the mid 70's from a guy asking if he would be interested in some Hendrix personal items. Douglas asked the guy if it was any of the stuff stolen from Jimi's apartment, and the guy panicked and hung up. He admitted that was a dumb thing to say and should have led the guy on to see what stuff he really had.

I never heard of anybody claiming any of the stuff that has come up for auction as being an item stolen from the apartment either.

So Whodunnit?

I think it's safe to say that anyone with half a (thief's) brain would have cleaned out the apartment.

[MourningStar]

Immediately after Jimi's death hit the news in the USA his apartment in New York City was broken in to and robbed of it's contents.

Hearsay, myth, rumor? While totally believable, what is the initial origin of this? Official police report? Management press statement? ...?

[Mark7]

Hearsay, myth, rumor? While totally believable, what is the initial origin of this? Official police report? Management press statement? ...?

Yeah is this even true? Wasn't Jimi living in a secured building w/doorman etc? If anyone it was prolly people he knew with access to his apt, Devon and her drug buddies?

[Lord Summerisle]

Yeah is this even true? Wasn't Jimi living in a secured building w/doorman etc? If anyone it was prolly people he knew with access to his apt, Devon and her drug buddies?

Of course it was. He hung out with some shit over there.

[stplsd]

Jimi's management in New York hired a locksmith to break in and change the locks. That's who broke in.
There is an existing bill for his work. Anything they considered of value they took back to the office. How his possesions were subsequently divided up is anyone's guess. Mitch apparently got some of the guitars and Black Gold. Devon it seems was allowed to keep some of his clothes and furnishings. Al Hendrix got very little.

[MourningStar]

Jimi's management in New York hired a locksmith to break in and change the locks. That's who broke in.
There is an existing bill for his work. Anything they considered of value they took back to the office. How his possesions were subsequently divided up is anyone's guess. Mitch apparently got some of the guitars and Black Gold. Devon it seems was allowed to keep some of his clothes and furnishings. Al Hendrix got very little.

So folks, there you have it. You were right! It was 'low-life' and 'shit' people in Hendrix's life - his management. Why am I not surprised.

[pederpropell]

Bob Levine & co? Wasn`t it? Didn`t his wife put up some Jimi stuff on auction like 10 years ago?? Things that obviously was from the apartment? I think there is stuff there still, just hang on...
About Mitch; I guess he had the whole tour gear after the european tour, and sold it off slowly in the early 70`s .. I read about it elsewere. The PA, Jimis Marshall amps and so forth. Maybe you can read about it in the Marshall amp Univibes edition. Thats how he ended up with Jimis white strat, of course. That guitar was used until the end.. no doubt.

Jimis cars,,, why is it impossible to find out about those today?

By the way; we had this great Jimi site a few years back, (closed by now Electric Church??) where it was stories about the biggest collection of Jimi stuff ever. In NY this guy had bought up everything after Jimi died, including a tape jimi playing with Miles Davis. That informal jam session at Betty Davis party.. anybody remembering that story??

PP

[gunther]

I was in England in 1978 in the USAF. I personally didn't see any, but I was told that in the early 70's it was not uncommon to see Marshall amps and cabs marked "JHE" in white paint that were for sale in various music shops. How they got there is anyone's guess.

[Sharpstat]

I was in England in 1978 in the USAF. I personally didn't see any, but I was told that in the early 70's it was not uncommon to see Marshall amps and cabs marked "JHE" in white paint that were for sale in various music shops. How they got there is anyone's guess.

The story is in Univibes that had a feature on lost equipment.It was spread out over 2-3 issues. The story IIRC was that one or more of the roadies took the amps and held on to them as collateral as non payment. They eventually were sold to shops for money. The article goes into much more detail and has a nice story from the current owner of the Marshall head with JHE on the rear of it.

[Lord Summerisle]

The story is in Univibes that had a feature on lost equipment.It was spread out over 2-3 issues. The story IIRC was that one or more of the roadies took the amps and held on to them as collateral as non payment. They eventually were sold to shops for money. The article goes into much more detail and has a nice story from the current owner of the Marshall head with JHE on the rear of it.

You wouldn't know what issue of Univibes it was would you mate?

[buffalorattle]

Maybe the items were distributed to 'safe houses' for safe keeping ?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JIMI-HENDRIX...item4cfe3ed464

[erickliban]

Maybe the items were distributed to 'safe houses' for safe keeping ?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JIMI-HENDRIX...item4cfe3ed464

Wow $1500 and they have the nerve to charge for shipping

HA!@

[MourningStar]

I am curious and would like to know if there is any authentic inventory of just what exactly was in the apartment. I suspect it cannot be known.

What is surprising to me, given the notoriety of NYC, the fame of Hendrix and the social propriety of some in his inner circle, is that there was not a break-in & looting each and every time he left the place unoccupied!

[souldoggie]

Maybe the items were distributed to 'safe houses' for safe keeping ?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JIMI-HENDRIX...item4cfe3ed464

Thank you, buffalrattle, for this link.
Does anyone, per chance, have this particular Sothby's catalog, dated 9-16,17, 1997?
If so, could you scan and post the pages depicting the Jimi items that were up for auction?
Thank you.